DirectTV

I just got DirectTV again after living in places for a few years where I had to go with cable (hi-rise apmts.) I'd always been really happy with DirectTV. When I'd see cable ads talking about "cable, we don't go out during thunderstorms/windy weather," I'd always wonder what they were talking about because my DirectTV would make it though Midwest blizzards without the picture dropping out whereas cable would just fail left and right during perfect weather. Now I'm living on the West Coast where it's somewhat windy today. I don't think we're talking 50 mph windstorm here, more like 20 to maybe 35 mph gusts. And the DirectTV - no hi-def dish - is dropping out left and right during nearly every wind gust for a few seconds.

Is this what DirectTV has become in the last few years when we didn't have it? I know they've been putting up all kinds of different satellites in the sky for the hi-def stuff the past few years. Like I said, the spouse and I had been huge DirectTV fans so I'm not coming on here looking to rip DirectTV, but I'm just shocked at the reception problems we've been having today considering the kind of weather we've lived through before and the DirectTV seemed to have less problems then. Could it be that we just got some idiot installers who didn't properly aim the dish?

 

They farm out the installations to whomever.

I live between Hollywood and Chavez Ravine and it's been quite gusty all day. No problems with my DirecTV whatsoever. Call them. Their customer service is great.

 

I've had it since January and have survived through a few major blizzards with no problems whatsoever.

 

We get "rain fade" during heavy thunderstorms. Somehow t-storms cause more problems than heavy snow.

 

I never lost reception during Hurricane Wilma . . . until the backside of the eyewall ripped the dish off the house.

 

Got it in January. Just one or two very minor glitches so far.

 

A piddly hurricane trashed your dish?

 

Have had it nearly two years through nasty Idaho weather and have never had an issue.

 

My two biggest DirecTV gripes:

1. Still no Tennis Channel (DISH has had it since it acquired Zoom).

2. For some reason the receiver periodically goes out while watching one of three HD channels: ESPN, ESPN2 or TNT. And you have to reset the thing to get the picture back (takes the press of a button and about two minutes of waiting).

This is my second HD receiver, and both have had this problem (though it was so bad with the first one that I demanded a replacement).

 

I haven't had any problem with my HD box, is yours a DVR? I've found that DirecTV is much better if you're into soccer (Setanta, Gol and FSC), maybe that's in exchange for no Tennis Channel.

 

This just sealed my decision about which one to get. Yep, I need the tennis channel.

 

Ok, glad to see from the responses here that DirectTV apparently hasn't gone to crap since the last time we had them. Based on the responses here, it seems like something went wrong with our installation. I sort of suspected that based on seeing the installers at "work." Like I said initially on here, it was somewhat windy yesterday, but, in the past, my DirectTV had weathered far worse. We have someone coming out to look at it and hopefully fix it on Saturday. (They could have come sooner, but we couldn't find a time that worked before then.) I'll update after they come on Saturday.